I remember sitting through an information session during Cornell Days, and having the speaker tell us that "You're going to meet a lot of interesting people during your four years at Cornell..."

Thus far, I can most definitely agree that the speaker is correct and that I have met some amazing, interesting people. Through Greek life, on campus organizations, or even at Dunbars on a Friday night, the amount of connections I've made is staggering. However, I would argue the most interesting person that I've met so far is myself. When I say this, I don't mean it in a cocky, condescending way, but rather meaning that I've truly met myself, determined what I enjoy, and finally understand what I aspire to accomplish in life.

In thinking back to when I first met myself, I believe it happened during my semester abroad in Lille, France. Don't get me wrong; I met a lot of amazing, kind, friendly people during my semester, and wouldn't trade these friendships for the world, but I also had many opportunities to be isolated from people I knew, and was given a chance to dive into myself and experience what life alone, with only me, myself, and I was like. Through this time, I evaluated my own life and determined who I truly was. Even back at Cornell, it doesn't take much to isolate yourself and give yourself time to think. One afternoon, turn off your iPhone and go for a walk around Beebe Lake. Give yourself and opportunity to open up to you. 

People who knew me before college see me now and tell me how much I've changed; not changed for the better or for the worse, just changed. I credit that to the experiences I've had, and the people who I've had those experiences with. With time comes change. I think that that's something that we're all in constant need of reminding; people change over time, and with that change comes some negatives, and some positives, but life is all about 'rolling with the punches' and letting change occur. If you don't like the changes, it's easy enough to make more changes. Surround yourself with different friends, different organizations, or just different people in general. 

The moral of the story is, during your four years in academia, you will meet some amazing, unique, or interesting characters, however, you should also plan to meet yourself. The best part about college is that there are plenty of people around you who are likeminded, and that it's truly a fresh start for the new you. Who knows, maybe you will even determine that you've known yourself all along?